It is known to have side or transverse rails on watercraft such as canoes, kayaks, sailboats, powerboats and the like to which are mounted various common accessories, viz., fishing rod holders, cup holders, tackle or bait boxes, and the like. The side rails typically run fore to aft adjacent the cockpit and usually beyond for a substantial length of the watercraft. The rails serve as handles and take the form of hollow metal tubes which are generally cylindrical although the tubes can be solid and made of steel or any other suitable material.
Mengo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,291 shows a fishing rod holder system for adapting a fishing rod holder to a round or four-sided square side rail. The patent does not address the adjustment of the position of the fishing rod holder with reference to the rail and any such adjustment is severely limited by the four-sided feature of the rail. The system of this patent uses two opposed separate plates connected by bolts with the rail sandwiched between the opposed plates. One of the plates carries the rod holder.
Wilcox, U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,775 B2 discloses a bracket assembly for holding accessories on a boat rail. The bracket includes mounting plates which are held on the boat rail by bolts and wing nuts. The orientation of the assembled bracket including accessories with respect to the boat rail is not adjustable about the rail.
Wegman, U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,124 B2 discloses a fishing rod holder mounted on a tube or rail of a watercraft having a plate which is bolted to a cap to secure the holder to the tube or rail. The plate and cap have mounting channels therein which provide for two positions of the fishing rod holder to the rail.